Power equipment that includes for example, lawn and garden tractors are typically provided with a display unit, indicating to the operator different parameters relating to the performance of the power equipment. The display units are usually positioned on the dash panel of the power equipment, conveniently within the operator's viewing area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,377,168 concerns a magneto sensing hourmeter and is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. A timing circuit provides an output to a microcontroller indicating whether an engine is operating. The circuit includes a triac coupled to a magneto for switching output generating circuitry between an engine on condition to an engine off condition in response to an operating condition of the engine. The output generating circuitry provides a signal indicating that the engine is not operating to the microcontroller when the circuitry is in an engine off condition and provides a signal indicating that the engine is operating to the microcontroller when the circuitry is in an engine on condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,357 discloses a programmable controller for monitoring a mower/tractor status. The controller includes an interface for monitoring inputs relating to a status of the mower/tractor and controlling outputs that regulate operation of the mower/tractor. The controller also includes a memory for storing instructions to implement a control over operation of the mower/tractor. The instructions include instructions for determining a safety status condition based on sensed inputs and outputting a signal from the interface of the controller that inhibits operation of a lawn mower/tractor motor or engine in response to a determination of the safety status condition. The disclosure of these two patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,377,168 and 6,609,357) is incorporated herein by reference.